Firsts
by SunStorm
Summary: First times in Mike and Scarlet's relationship. Set in 1989, and moving forward.
1. At First Sight

_New day, hopefully a better story… I'm headed out for the weekend. I might be able to post the next chapter to this but you might have to wait till Monday! Anyway I hope you all enjoy…_

_As always, the characters are not mine. I'm just borrowing them!_

Firsts

At First Sight

September 7th 1988

Scarlet sighed, wishing that it was some kind of cruel joke. It was the second day of classes and she already had homework. Brushing a lock of hair out of face, she tucked it behind her ear as she stopped outside of the entrance of the school. Looking down the street, she tried to spot her mother's station wagon. Students were crowded in the parkway in front of the school making it hard to pick out her mother's car.

With a sigh, she readjusted her backpack and started down the steps towards the lawn. In front of her was a group of cheerleaders, giggling and chatting.

"… so then he took me down to that place at the rink, and well I don't think I need to tell you what happened after that!" The girl in the middle giggled and tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder. "I will tell you this though, that boy has quite the talent!" the girls broke in a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"Cheryl, that's terrible!" the brunette next to her exclaimed. They continued off the parking lot. Scarlet stopped and leaned against a light post. For the forth time that day, she wished that her dad had never gotten that transfer to Hayden. When her parents sat her down at the beginning of the summer and told her of the transfer, she thought of it as a chance to change.

It wasn't that she didn't have friends at her old school; she missed Namaoi and Margaret like crazy. But she hadn't been one of _those_ girls. One of the girls that all the boys wanted and all the girls wanted to be. For two years, she had been over-looked by just about every boy at her old school. Looking down at shirt she sighed. She should probably get some new clothes. She was still unpacking and was sure that one of her boxes had been lost in the move.

Deciding to start her homework while waiting, she moved towards the courtyard and made herself comfortable under a tree. Pulling her bag towards herself, she grabbed her math textbook out and opened it. The numbers swam before her eyes as she tried to workout the problems. She grabbed a pencil and tried to make notes.

"_Nuts to this!"_ Slamming the book closed and shoving it deep into her bag, she checked her watch and looked around. She had been working for almost an hour and the parking lot was almost empty. Guessing her mom was running late from her new job, she decided to wait a bit longer before trying to catch a city bus home. Grabbing a book from her bag, she opened it to the marker and started to read.

The warm fall breeze floated around her, and she lifted her hand to push her hair back out of her face. Looking up from the page, her eyes scanned the lawn and stopped on a boy who was standing on the steps of the school.

He was dressed in a basketball uniform, track bag slung over one shoulder and ball under his arm. He had stopped on the steps and was just staring at her. A shorter blond boy was waving his hands in front of his face trying to get his attention. Scarlet looked back down at her book and tried to remember where she left off. She raised her eyes to peer over the top of the book and watched as he seem to come out of his trance at look down at his friend. Slinging his arm around the smaller boy, they started back down the steps.

She turned back to her book and glanced at her watch. _"Where the hell is she?" _ she thought.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her and she raised her head to see what had caused it. He was staring down at her, blue eyes twinkling. His hair was shaggy and was curling at the tips.

"Sorry?" she shook her head to clear it. She was sure he had said something but had no idea what he said. He gave her an easy smile.

"I said, hey."

"Um, hi." Scarlet squirmed under his stare. "Can I help you with something?"

"You just seemed kind of lonely over here all by yourself. You're new here right?" He lifted his hand to block the sun from his eyes as he stared down at her.

She placed her marker into the book. "Ya, two weeks ago."

"How you liking Hayden?" He flashed her an easy smile. She couldn't help but smile back at him.

"It's a lot different than my old school." she turned her head and pushed her hair behind her ear. "I'm still getting use to the weather here. Compared to here it rained everyday." She stood and moved to brush the grass from her pants. "I'm Scarlet." She held out her hand. With a smirk, he took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Mike. Wow, _Less than Zero_? That's a pretty heavy book." He reached down and picked up her bag from the ground. He held it out to her and she shoved her book into it and zipped it closed. Swinging it onto her shoulder she met his gaze.

For the first time since he approached her, he broke his stare and scanned the empty school grounds. "Are you waiting for your boyfriend?" he asked, fixing his stare on her once again.

She laughed that the thought of _her_ having a boyfriend. _"Like that'll ever happen." _She thought.

"No, my mom was suppose to be picking me up here… an hour and half ago." She looked away from her watch. "She must have gotten stuck at work." She sighed.

"Do you need a lift?" He seemed almost desperate. She studied his face and noticed that her seemed like he was begging her with his eyes.

"I don't know, you're a stranger, I'm not suppose to talk to strangers…" she said throwing a sarcastic smile his way. "You don't even know where I live. What if it's on the other side of town?" She crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down.

"That's perfect, more time to time to talk." He placed his hand at the small of her back and carefully moved her towards the only car in the lot. "Don't worry, I got my license a month ago."

"Wow." She gave the car a once over. "Nice car."

The jet black Trans-Am seemed to glitter in the bright sun. His hand left her back, and she shivered at the loss of contact.

"Thanks, my dad works for this pharmaceutical company and I got this for my birthday." Unlocking the door he held it open for her and motioned for her to get it. Once she was in the car, he closed the door, and threw his stuff in the trunk. Hopping it the driver seat, he put the keys in and turned. The car purred to life.

"Sorry if I smell. I just got out of basketball practice." He flashed her another grin before putting the car in drive and easing it forward.

"Really? Basketball? And here I thought that was the chess club uniform and you just had a totally hard game." She turned his head and watched as he laughed. He was rifling through a pile of tapes, seeming to look for one.

"So Guns 'n Roses ok to listen to?" he didn't met her eyes as he slipped a tape into the radio.

"Wicked, they totally rock! I love them." She gave him a smile when he looked over and noticed him laughing. "What?"

"I would have never guessed."


	2. The First Kiss

_I'm back! And for part two!_

_As always, the characters are not mine. I'm just borrowing them!_

Firsts

The First Kiss

Slamming her locker shut, Scarlet stormed her way down the hallway. Above her the final bell of the day rang, classrooms doors opened, and students started to stream into the hallway. She weaved her way through the crowds, walking towards the gym. She made her way down the flight of stairs and opened the doors.

While the entire school cleared out as soon as the final bell went, the gym was always busy once classes let out. She made her way along the sidelines of the court and headed up the stands. Sitting down, her eyes swept around the room, picking out Mike from the crowd of basketball players. When he looked up, she waved at him and settled down to wait. Her arms rested on the bench behind, and her eyes moved to the other side of the court where the cheerleaders were practicing. As she watched they ran through various routines, moving to the beat of the music.

Pulling out her homework, she started working on it while waiting for Mike. Over the last month they had started to carpool after Mike realized how close they lived to each other. After a week of him showing up at her house every day to pick her up and dragging her to the gym till he was done practice, she had given in. It was a lot easier to get a ride with him than trying to figure out the bus system. She had almost convinced herself that it had nothing to do with his looks.

After an hour, she heard the blow of the whistle and the squeal of the cheerleaders. Looking up from her book, she watched as the practice game started. The cheerleaders had finished up and were watching the game with interest. Scarlet put her books beside her as she watched the boys play. This had turned into the best part of her day. He boys were playing the full court, shirts vs. skins, and to her delight, Mike had been picked for skins.

Mike had the ball and was moving quickly down the court. He moved the ball from side to side as he dodged his opponents. She quietly cheered him on as he moved, ducking under the outstretched arms of player in from of him. Below her the cheerleaders standing on the sidelines cheered him on and screamed in delight when he made the three pointer with ease. He turned and ran back towards the center of the court, and scanned the stands. Lifting his arms, he mimicked the shot again, and smiled at her. She laughed and the game continued.

Half an hour later the coach blew the whistle again, signaling the end of the game. The team gathered around him as he went over some final plays. Scarlet glanced around and began to gather her things up from where they were sprawled around her. She stood slinging her bag over her shoulder and took a step down the stands. Stopping she noticed that Cheryl was talking to Mike as the gym cleared out. Her eyes narrowed as she recalled the conversion from earlier that day.

~ * ~

Scarlet walked into homeroom, and took her seat. Pulling out her books she started working on her physics paper. Around her students mingled and worked at their desks quietly chatting. Ms. Witman was laid back enough to let the students chat and do their own thing in the mornings. The fact that Ms. Witman was known for her late nights and bar scene was mostly the reason, and she always did her best to take a nap.

Scarlet pushed her hair back with one hand and took notes from her book with the other. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she looked into the cold stare of Cheryl Thomas. Cheryl was everything Scarlet had imaged being. She was the definition of all American girl. Her long blond hair was always curled perfectly, long tan legs looked amazing in her cheer uniform, and blue eyes that were framed by long lashes. Behind Cheryl stood her two friends of the week. The top two girls rotated between a group of five and Scarlet wasn't sure of their names.

"Sharon, right?" Scarlet turned her attention back towards to Cheryl.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your Sharon right?" Cheryl lifted her hand and played with a piece of her hair.

"Um, I'm Scar…"

"Listen, I don't care who you are. You're new and obviously don't know about how things work around here. I," She pointed herself "am the head cheerleader, and you," she pointed at Scarlet "are at the bottom of the food chain. I noticed that you've been spending a lot of time with Mike O'Donnell lately." She tossed her long blond locks behind her. "Me and Mike have this sort of _thing_, it would be better if you'd back off. You understand right?" she gave Scarlet a smile.

She was in shock. This girl was telling her to back off. Standing, she stood in front of Cheryl and crossed her arms. Scarlet was not the type of person to back down from a fight. Staring at Cheryl head on she replied, "Funny, he's never mentioned you." Scarlet smiled back in satisfaction when the blonde's eyes narrowed and her smile turned to a sneer.

"I have no idea who you think you are, but Mike is _mine._ Back off or trust me, it won't be pretty." With that she turned on her heal and walked away. Scarlet watched as she walked away and sat on the opposite side of the classroom and shoot her a glare.

Scarlet held it as she sat back down. _Who does she think she is?_ Scarlet thought to herself as she tried to go back to her forgotten homework.

~ * ~

All day she kept replaying the conversation in her head. As she stood and watched as Cheryl flirted with Mike, her anger from earlier bubbled to the surface. Mike nodded at something she said and picked up his towel from on his bag. Running it over his face he replied to her, and Scarlet watched as the girl laughed at whatever he had said. His eyes flicked up towards her and Scarlet started her way down the stands. The gym was empty, and her steps echoed off the walls. She saw Cheryl throw a glare in her direction as she moved closer to Mike, and placed her hand on his arm. Moving closer, Cheryl whispered into his ear and Scarlet saw Mike's eyes flick up to her. He quickly moved away from the blonde, and grabbed his shirt. Pulling it on, his eyes met Scarlet's. They begged her to save him.

"Hey Scar, ready to go?" He called to her, as he moved further away from Cheryl. He picked up his bag in one hand; he waited for her to reach him

"Totally," Scarlet didn't think and her legs moved closer to Mike. She walked past Cheryl and shot her a look over her shoulder. Scarlet seem to move on autopilot as she moved closer to Mike. "You were great out there." Standing beside him, Scarlet took his hand and met his eyes. He glanced into her eyes and she watched as they dropped to her lips. Scarlet took a small breath and moved in to kiss Mike.

All of the anger that she had towards Cheryl, disappeared the moment when their lips touched. In the back of her mind, he heard Mike's bag as it hit the ground and felt his hands as they came to rest on her hips. Her head swam as the feeling of the kiss took over and she lost herself in it. She felt Mike's hands as they came up to frame her face and she felt him slowly end the kiss. Opening her eyes she looked at him and saw a look of amazement in his eyes.

Hating to break contact, she turned her head towards Cheryl and noticed with satisfaction that she seemed to be speechless. Shooting her a smile, she took Mike's hand again and moved towards the tunnel out of the gym. Mike seemed to snap out of his trance and grabbed his bag from the floor and he allowed himself to be lead from the court.

As soon as they stepped into the bright afternoon sun, Scarlet dropped Mike's hand and started walking quickly to his car. He followed behind her keeping a steady pace, his eyes boring into the back of her head. She stopped at the passenger side door and, looking down, waited for him to unlock the car.

He stopped in front of her and looked down. She looked up at him and was frozen in his stare. His eyes swept along her face, "Thanks for saving me." Before she knew what was happening, his lips were on her again and her knees almost buckled. In the back of her mind, she heard his bag dropped to the ground again, and he leaned into her. She was forced against his car as he moved against her. Her arms moved around his waist and she kissed him back. Pulling apart, Mike rested his forehead against hers. They stood in each other's arms, slowly coming back to earth. Scarlet opened her eyes, and found herself staring into Mike's piercing blue ones. They seemed to be trying to read her. She gulped and moved to talk.

"I don't need to hear why," he moved a hand to her face and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "all I want to know is that you feel it too."

Speechless, she slowly nodded, not waiting to break the spell that was around them. He flashed her a smile that made her knees weak and lightly kissed her nose.


	3. The First Love

_Just a couple of things, Number one, I couldn't find anything that told me Scarlet's last name before her and Mike got married. If anyone knows or has a better idea, please let me know! Number two, for all the young girls, boys suck in a group. Trust me, they just do. This is a clean version of what boys say when they know girls aren't listing. And if any guys are reading this, don't fight it. You know you do ;) Number three, since I'm from Canada, we never really did the whole 'homecoming' thing. It's September 1989 and Scarlet and mike have been together for about a year at this time. Ok now enjoy!_

_As always, the characters are not mine. I'm just borrowing them!_

Firsts

The First Love

Standing in front of the mirror, Mike fidgeted with his tie again. No matter how many times he tried to fix it, it seemed more crooked. Giving up he walked away from the mirror and sat on the bench in the front hallway. Putting his head in his hands, he let out a sigh.

'_What is taking her so long?'_

Unable to keep still, he stood and put his hands in his pockets looking around. While it wasn't the first time he had been in the Cleton home, it some how seemed different tonight. Maybe it was the fact he was dressed up, or the way Scarlet's father had given him the once over before letting him in, or maybe it was because of what he had decided to tell her tonight.

Hands still in his pockets, he rolled from the balls of his feet to his heels and started to pace. As sure as he was about telling her, he was a ball of nerves. The last year had been fantastic. Meeting Scar had been the single best thing that had ever happened to him.

Looking back to last year when they met, at the time, Mike couldn't understand how that day could have been any better. It was the first basketball practice of the year, and the Coach had pulled him aside to tell him he was to be made captain this year. He had been walking on air leaving the court that day when he saw her. Sitting under one of the trees on the lawn, Mike was frozen to the spot at the sight of her. She was nothing like the other girls. Wearing a Guns and Roses t-shirt, she sat on the school lawn, quietly reading. The wind was twirling her hair around her, and Mike was sure he was seeing things.

"Ok, all done!" Mike's head snapped up at the sound of Scarlet's mother, and he moved to the foot of the stairs. Her mother made her way quickly down to stand at the foot of the stairs, camera in hand. "Sam, get in here and see!"

As Mike watched, Scarlet emerged from her room and made her way down the stairs. Never one for attention, she was bright pink as her mother snapped photos. Mike was taken back. She was the down to earth and low maintenance, dirt under her fingernails, jeans and t-shirt kind. But tonight, she was drop dead gorgeous.

When she got to the bottom, she met his eyes, and mouthed _'sorry'_, as she turned to her parents. Mike was aware that photo's were being taken of the two of them, and he was sure that he smiled at the right time and promised to have her home by midnight. He went through the motions, of opening the car door for her and walking around to the other side. His hand paused on the driver's side handle and he waved to her parents standing in the doorway, before getting into the car.

"Oh my God, I feel like a clown." She was peering into the visor mirror inspecting the make-up. She looked over at him and he realized that he had been staring. "Gah, I look ridiculous!"

"Scar…"

She interrupted him. "I don't know where she got the idea to do all of this!" She motioned to her dress and hair. "I'm sure I said I wanted something simple." She turned back to the mirror.

"Scarle.."

"I mean it's not like a ball! It's a _homecoming_ dance for goodness sake!" she popped her purse open and looked for a tissue. "I get that I'm dating the school's top player and everything, but it's _way_ to much."

He reached over to her and took her chin in her hand. Forcing her to look at him, he found his tongue in his mouth and started, "Scar, you look _gorgeous. _Please, trust me." He kissed her softly and could feel as she melted in his arms. Pulling back, he gently took a curl that had slipped free and tucked it back into place.

"So I don't look like a clown than?"

"Nope, not even close." He gave her a lazy grin, before starting the car and pulling onto the road.

~ * ~

His arm tightened around her waist as they walked through the gym doors and into the dance. He could literally see people stopped to stare when they walked in under the balloon canopy. Scarlet was radiant by his side tonight and he watched as people took notice. It had been a year since she had started at Hayden, and it was tonight when everyone saw what he saw that first day. Her hair shone in the dim light and the deep red dress showed the world what was usually hidden by rocker t-shirts and faded jeans. The heels on her feet were different than her running shoes, and they made her graceful. For the first time, Mike felt as the eyes of the school looked over him and noticed her.

Scarlet looked up at him, not use to the sudden interest, and asked, "So, do you see Jamie and the girls?" Mike tore his eyes from her to scan over the crowd to find her friends. Spotting them he leaned over, and pointed them out. Giving him a quick kiss, she made her way over to them. Feeling cold as she left his side, he made his way over to the rest of the basketball team and coughed to get their attention.

"Dude," Kyle's eyes moved from Scarlet as she chatted with her friends, and looked at him. "damm!"

"Holy crap Mike, that's what you've been dating? I take back everything I said about having no body. I bow to you and your skills." Dom joked as he took a sip from his cup. "How has she been hiding all that?"

Mike punched him in the arm. "I know." The boys watched as she made her way back over to him and said hello to the boys. She stood beside Mike and grasped his hand tightly. He could feel how nervous she was standing with him, as the guys just seemed to stare at her. Asking her to dance, he pulled her away, and led her out the to dance floor. Lightly spinning her, he placed one arm around her waist and held her hand in his. The pair moved slowly in circles to the music.

Mike's looked over her shoulder and noticed Cheryl standing to the side of the floor with her group of girls. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she was shooting glares at Scarlet's back. Shaking his head, he pulled her closer to him and felt as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't lie to me you know." He looked down at her because he was sure that he misheard her.

"What are you talking about? I would never lie to you."

"Oh ya?" She lifted her head and stared at him. "Then why would everyone stare? Everyone is watching me like a freak." Standing on her toes, she peeked over his shoulder.

"Scar…"

"I don't look that strange, I mean it's just a bit of makeup and a dress. Ok, maybe it's the dress. I know I haven't worn a dress since I was eight and had to go to Naomi's birthday party, but come on! They don't have to stare!" She huffed and blew a piece of hair from her forehead. "I mean Cheryl dress like this _everyday_! And on top of that, _HUMPSH!_"

Mike had placed his hand over her mouth and they stopped swaying to the music. "Scarlet, deep breaths." He slowly moved his hand and she stared up at him. "I would never lie to you. Everyone is staring because you look stunning. Tonight everyone is seeing what I saw a year ago." Lifting his hand, he brushed her hair off her forehead and lightly kissed it. He pulled her back toward him and both his arms hugged around her waist. She tucked her head under his chin and his eyes closed as they slowly started to move again.

'_Dude this is never going to get more perfect, just tell her right now!' _He could hear the voice in his head as it urged him on. '_It's now or never!'_

"I love you."

"What?" Mike's eyes flew open and he looked down. Scarlet's head lifted from his chest and she met his eyes.

"I love you Mike."


	4. The First Breaths

_Well here we are. I'm going to start with the fact that I have never been here. I have never done this and I could be completely off the mark (hehehe) about this chapter. Either way this is the longest yet. It could be a couple of days before the next chapter though._

_Oh and I have a request! Please everyone, write! I want to read everyone's ideas about this couple! Thanks for everyone's kind words._

_I'm just using the characters from _17 Again_. I don't own them._

Firsts

The First Breaths

Rolling to her side, Scarlet looked at the clock next to the bed and watched as it changed from 2:43 to 2:44. The early May heat consumed her, making it impossible for her to sleep. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and pushed herself up. She heard Mike behind her as he groaned and rolled over. Her hand rubbed her belly as she lightly padded her way down the small hallway and into the living room. Carefully lowering herself to the couch, she grabbed the remote and flicked the TV on.

She slowly flicked through the channels and tried to find something to watch till she fell a sleep. School was going to suck in the morning, but she only had a week to go before the baby was due. The last month had been tough as both Mike and herself tried to prepare themselves for the change. They had moved into the apartment last week and packed boxes were still stacked all over the place.

The small one room apartment was just big enough for the three of them. Her parents had been super pissed once they found out that she was pregnant at seventeen, and was planning to marry and keep the baby. Looking down at her hand she watched the ring as it glittered in the dim light. Mike's parents had been a bit more forgiving than her own, but in the end, both sets of parents had come together to help the small family out.

Scarlet sucked in a deep breath when she felt the twitch. It was a just small flutter, but she nearly jumped out of skin at the feeling of it. Her hands ran along her belly and she tried to quiet the baby. She could it feel as it moved around. Turning her attention back to the TV, she propped her feet up, and slowly traced circles.

She had started dozing when the next one hit her hard. Her eyes slammed shut and she cried out in pain.

"MIKE!"

~ * ~

Mike woke with a start and he sat up in bed. Looking next to him, he noticed that Scarlet was missing. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he placed his legs over the side of the bed. Giving a yawn, he looked around the room trying to figure out what had woken him up. He had gotten use to Scarlet's midnight trips to the bathroom and they didn't wake him up anymore. Just as he considered going back to sleep, he heard her scream from down the hall. His head lifted at the noise.

"Oh my GOD MIKE! Get up NOW!" Bolting from the room, he skidded to stop in the hallway out side of the living room. She sat on the couch, one hand on her stomach; the other was white as it gripped the armrest. Her eyes were shut as she breathed in and out through the pain.

"Scar?" He slowly made his way into the room.

"Mike, go get the car." Her eyes didn't open and she fought to keep her voice steady. One of her eyes peeked open and slammed shut again. "What THE HELL are you still doing here?!"

"Scarlet, are you joking? I mean the baby's not due for another week. And we don't have your bag ready…" He trailed off and watched as she let out another moan before relaxing again. She lifted her head and met his eyes.

"Come here for a sec Mike." He slowly approached her and sat down next to her on the couch. Suddenly, she had him by the front of the shirt and had dragged his face towards her. Speaking calmly, she gave him a small smile, "Mike, go and get the car. Now. This is not a joke. I am not laughing. So, _right now_, you have a choice, you can one," she held up a finger, "you can go get the car and we can go to the hospital. Or two," holding up the second finger, "you can deliver this baby right here." She let go of him and leaned back, her eyes closing again and she rubbed circles over her belly again.

Mike stood, and walked in a daze back towards the bedroom. He grabbed his pants from where they lay on the floor. Walking over to the dresser, he grabbed his wallet and keys and looked into the mirror. Meeting his eyes, he took a deep breath before rushing out of the apartment, and down to the car. Hopping into the driver side, he started the car and roared out the spot. He pulled up to the front of the building and left the car running. As he rushed back to the apartment, he saw Scarlet as she got out of the elevator.

She looked better than she had minutes ago when she had been pain. He noticed that she was stilled dressed in one of his t-shirts and a pair of boxers, but had thrown on a jacket. Her purse was on her shoulder and she wore her favorite converse high tops on her feet. She slowly made her way to the side of the car, and Mike held the door open for her. Running to the other side, he hopped in and threw the car in gear. He drove as fast has his pounding heart would allow and they made their way to the hospital.

Pulling up the doors, he turned the car off, and went to help her out. As he made his way around to the other side, a security guard made his way over to the car.

"Son, you can't park here. You need to move your car." Mike ignored the man, and opened the door, offering his hand to Scarlet to take. Calmly, she stood from the car and waited for Mike as he closed the door. The guard's eyes went wide, and he sputtered at the sight of the young woman as she stood there. "I'll get someone for you." They watched as he made his way back in the hospital, and they could hear him as he yelled for a wheelchair.

Scarlet turned to him, and he was taken back at her strength in that moment. "Mike," She started, and both of them looked down as her water broke. He looked back at her, and she gave him a small smile. "Well at least it wasn't in the car." The doors opened with a whoosh and two nurses ran out the meet them pushing a wheelchair. As he watched they started throwing questions at her as they moved her towards the building. Mike started to follow when the guard from earlier stopped him.

"You're going to need to move your car kid." Mike looked at him before moving over the car and moving it. By the time he made it back to the emergency ward, Scarlet was gone. Running a hand through his hair, he made his way to the nurse's desk.

"Where'd she go?"

The nurse at the front desk looked up from her magazine. "Who?"

"My wife! They just brought her in! You can't miss her, blonde, about yea high… Pregnant?" He tried to keep his temper in check as he gestured to his stomach.

"Oh right, exam room two." She gestured down the hallway behind her before turning back the open pages in front of her. Mike bolted down the hallway in the direction she pointed. He could hear Scarlet as she let out another scream and almost fell into the room. She was on the bed and called out for him as soon as he walked in the doorway. She held out her hand to him and without thinking, he took it. She grabbed his hand and he nearly fell to his knees when she squeezed it. He was sure he heard bones crack as she tried to control the pain. Once the contraction passed, she let go and he breathed a sigh of relief as she dropped his hand.

Her head dropped to the pillow, and she looked as him as she took deep breaths. "Ok Mike, this is how it's going to go. I made a list." She motioned to the table beside her and he looked down. "There all the things you've got to do." Picking it up, he skimmed the list. Nurses bustled around him as they got Scarlet ready to move. "First things, you have to go and call my mom. Tell her to go the apartment and to pick up this stuff." She pointed out items to him. "Mike." His eyes met her face and he snapped out the trance like state he had been in since leaving the apartment. "I know this is happening really fast, but I need you to call my mom."

Nodding to her, he turned to towards the doorway and made his way down the hall. He stopped when a nurse passing touched his arm.

"This baby isn't waiting for no one. The doctor is on his way. You've got fifteen minutes, tops." She passed him a pair of scrubs. "You better throw these on while you're at it." Numbly he took the clothes from her and made his way back the hallway to find a phone and a bathroom.

~ * ~

He raced back from the bathroom after changing and calling Scarlet's mom. Sam had not been pleased at hearing his son-in-law at three in the morning, but he must have heard the panic in his voice, and he handed the phone to Barb. He was able to pass along the list of items to her and got changed in less than 10 minutes. He sprinted down the hallway and was back at Scarlet's side. Careful not to take her hand this time he stood by her and brushed her hair back at the next contraction.

While he was standing there, the doctor swept into the room and started asking questions. "Ok, how far long?" Mike's tore his eyes away from her and watched as someone handed him a clipboard and he started to page through it.

"And is Mike O'Donnell here?" The doctor's eyes peered over his glasses and looked at him. Mike gulped as the doctor stared him down. Finally a grin broke over his features and he offered a hand to Mike. "Ok Scarlet and Mike, let's bring your baby it the world!"

~ * ~

Taking a deep breath, Scarlet tried to push herself up higher to see the baby. The pain blurred from her mind as she tried to get a look at her child. The nurses bustled around in a group blocking her view.

"Mike, go and see!" When he didn't move, she turned to look at him. He was frozen to the spot as his eyes followed the nurses. The sound of a crying baby seemed to jump start him and he took a step forward. She turned back to follow the group when one of them broke away and started over to them. In her arms she held a pink blanket; and Scarlet's heart nearly stopped when a small hand freed itself.

"And here's Mommy!" the nurse approached her and Scarlet reached for the bundle in her arms. The nurse passed her over and helped Scarlet arrange her arms to hold the baby to her chest. She moved the blanket away from her face and Scarlet stared into the eyes of her daugther for the first time. The baby quieted in her arms and gave her a lazy glance.

"She's perfect." Mike lightly kissed her hair as he bent over to look at the child in her arms. "Thank you Scarlet."

~ * ~

Scarlet opened her eyes and she tried to focus. Her body hurt all over and she groaned as she tried to sit up.

"Shhh, Scar sweetie, go back to sleep." She felt Mike's hands as they smoothed down her face and he placed kisses on her forehead. She rested her head back down and swallowed thickly. Mike held a glass out to her and she moved closer towards it. Taking a sip from it, she felt as the cobwebs cleared from her mind and she was able to focus on the room around her.

"How long have I been sleeping?" She pushed her hair back behind her ear and turned to face Mike.

"About five hours. You should try to get some more rest. The nurses said they would be back at about three o-clock to show you how to feed her."

"Where is she?"

"In the nursery. Your mom and dad got here an hour after we headed into the delivery room." He pushed the sleeves of his shirt up his arms and covered his mouth from a yawn.

"Have you slept at all? What about school?" Scarlet tried to sit up and winced.

"Hey, lie back down," Mike sat on the side of the bed. His hand ran up and down her leg trying to get her to relax. "You just had our baby. I think Mr. Anderson will let you hand in your paper a tad later."


	5. The First House

First House

Holding Maggie on her hip, she strolled through the house, peering around the doorways, feeling like she was intruding on someone else's life. She heard Mike in the other room, talking with the agent. She started up the stairs and looked at the photos along the staircase in interest. Staring back at her was the perfect family. The 2.5 kids, mother and father, tastefully posed and clean cut. The smiles were wide and posed. Scarlet felt as they mocked her.

Turning and heading back down the stairs, she caught Mike's eye and shook her head no. There was no way that she was living in a house that she felt so mocked in. She headed outside and pulled the jacket tighter around Maggie. The crisp January air blew by her and she headed back towards the car.

Strapping Maggie into the car she closed the door to keep the chill out and stood waiting for Mike. She watched as he shook hands with the real state agent trying to make the sale and made his way over to her.

"Not this one either?" they climbed into the car and Mike turned to her as he started the car. From the back see, Maggie giggled and Scarlet turned to make a face at her.

"It feels like the photo's are mocking me." Turning back to him, "I want to see us in those frames, not people laughing at me."

"Well we'll keep searching till we find something you want. I mean it's not like we're in a hurry to find anything." Mike pulled onto the road, as they made their way to the next appointment.

She watched as the houses passed them by. _"Yea, only eight months to go."_

~ * ~

Later in the week, Scarlet sat in the apartment, one eyes watching Maggie as she napped in the playpen, the other writing her essay for her English class. Her last year of high school had been done by correspondence, with Mike handing in her assignments. Her hand rubbed her belly as she wrote.

She had found out a week and half ago that she was pregnant again. This time though, she wasn't sure how to break the news to Mike. It hadn't been easy the first time, but with their graduation approaching and the hunt to find a house, Mike had been under a ton of stress. Every free moment the two of them had was spent searching for a new home.

They had been growing out of their apartment, and Mike's parents had decided to get them a house for Christmas. Mike's parents had always done what ever they could to help the two of them out. They had been house hunting ever since with no luck.

Pushing her hair from her eyes, she heard the door opening and she looked up when Mike walked in the door. He dropped his bag in the hallway, and brought her the stack of papers in his hand.

"And how was school?" Putting the stack on the table, she closed her books and sat back as she watched Mike pick up Maggie and plant a kiss on her cheek. Placing the child on his lap, he sat beside her and started to sort through the papers he had brought in.

"Same old Hayden High. So on my way home, I stopped by my Mom's and she had all this for us." He gestured to the pile. "They want to take us looking this weekend."

"Ok cool, as least we won't get all the looks at the open houses that way." Standing she grabbed her cold mug of tea and dumped it in the sink.

"What looks?"

"Those looks of pity and disapproval at us Mike! How do you not see it?! Every time we meet with a new agent or go to a viewing, everyone stares at us!" she started wiping the counter top to calm herself down. She heard him as he stood and walked over to her. Lifting Maggie over her head he held the child in front of her, and she reached out for Scarlet. Scarlet took the baby from him and cuddled her to her chest. "Don't get me wrong Mike," He placed his hands on her shoulders and rubbed gently, "I wouldn't change our life for anything. I just wish we didn't have to deal with all of the bull shit from others about our choices."

He placed a kiss on her head, "Hey, don't worry about other people. This is our life, ok? Sure we could have waited and went to college, get married and have this little darling," he waved his fingers in front of Maggie's face, "but we didn't. We just have to enjoy things as they come."

~ * ~

Scarlet toured around the house, her arms feeling strangely light without Maggie in them. She wrapped them around herself as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Oh Scarlet honey isn't this one just perfect?" Mrs. Donnell called to her as she swept into the kitchen after her Maggie in her arms. " Just big enough for the three of you! Oh Ted," She made her way out into the hallway next to Mr. O'Donnell "look at this adorable closet."

Scarlet turned and stood in front of the sink and looked out the window. The yard was small and she could see into the house directly behind. Mike placed his hands on her back as he stood beside her.

"So we know how my Mom feels about this place…" He trailed off and placed his hands in his pockets.

They could over hear the agent talking in the other room "Mrs. O'Donnell, do you really think this place will be big enough for the five of you?"

"Oh I'm sorry! We're actually looking for a place for my son and his wife. Did Mr. Copptet not make that clear when we made the appointment?"

Scarlet turned red as she heard the agent sputter his apologies. Scarlet balled her fists and could feel Mike beside her as he tried to calm her down. She slowly made her way into the living room and reached out to take Maggie from her mother-in-law. Settling the little girl on her hip, she turned to face the agent and looked him in the eye.

"I don't like this one. Do you have any listings for a three bedroom with a decent sized yard for kids to play in?" She didn't blink and she could feel Mike's eyes on her.

"Scarlet…"

"Yes Mike?"

"Why a three bedroom?" She turned to face him and saw him frozen in the doorway from the kitchen.

Giving him a smirk, "Well at some point the new baby is going to need its own room, and I'm not going to go through all this crap again."

~ * ~

A week later, she knew they had found it the minute they pulled along the curb. The agent's car parked in front of them and Mike pulled up behind it. After last weekend, they had decided to hire a real estate agent to do the legwork.

Scarlet stepped out of the car and let Mike pull Maggie from the backset. She started towards the house across the yard, and Glen took long strides to catch up to her.

"Ok this one is a three bedroom, two bath. The driveway wraps around and there's a two car garage that's not attached to the house." He read from his notebook.

"Are they home?" Glen had quickly learned the way she liked things.

"Nope. The agent is meeting us here. You're in for a treat with this one. It was just listed on Thursday. It won't even hit the papers till Tuesday." Approaching the door, he knocked and was greeted by a woman.

"Nina, it's been a while!"

"Glen, you're going to love this one." Shaking hands with Glen, she turned to Scarlet and gave her a wide grin.

"And you must be the O'Donnell's!" She took Scarlet's hand and turned to Mike who stood behind her. "Just to let you know, the owners have already moved. He took a new job in New York and they had to leave quite quickly. I'm still getting things in order here. It's still a bit of a mess." They made their way through the front door and into the dinning room.

Boxes were stacked around, and plastic covered the couch in the living room. Scarlet wandered towards the French doors in the living room and looked out towards the backyard. She could hear Mike and Maggie behind her as they toured the rest of the house. But she already knew. Looking out into the yard she could see them here. The owners had never done anything with the yard but she could see the potential it had. As she stood there, she could see what it could be and what she wanted it to be.

Turning around, she went to find the others. Listening for voices, she made her way into the master bedroom. Mike had Maggie on his hip and was bouncing her as he slowly walked around the room. Glen and Nina were giving him the rundown of the house as he paced.

"Scarlet, come look at this!" He held his hand out to him and she walked over and took it. He passed Maggie over to her and took her around the room, pointing out different things to her.

"We'll leave you to look around" Glen told them. "Nina and I will be in outside if you have any questions." They left the couple to look around.

"Well?" Mike turned to her.

Turning to face him, she smiled. "I love it. What about you?"

"As long as you love it. It doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad we can stop looking!" Placing a kiss on her head, he slung his arm around her shoulder and they went to find the agents.


	6. The First Steps

_I have done a great injustice to you all! I haven't wrote NED! Enjoy!_

_Still not mine!_

Firsts

The First Steps

"So have you heard about the Internet?"

"The what?"

"Mike, how have you not heard about this?!" Ned sat across from him in the backyard. "It's the biggest thing out there right now. These students at Stanford University started linking computers together, and I just finished reading this article about how the web is going to connect the world. Dude, your kids are going to love it." Ned took a pull from his beer.

"Wow, the geek in you still shines oh so brightly through." Mike had one eye on Alex as he played on the blanket in front of them. "So when do you head back?"

"In a week. I'm working on this project, and it's easier to do when the freshman aren't all over the servers. So, what's it like when it's just you and the little guy?"

Mike leaned back in his chair and he looked over to Ned. "Not bad. It's not often it's the two of us though, isn't that right Alex?" The baby looked up at the sound of his name and gave them both a wide, toothless grin. "Scarlet and my Mom decided it was time for Maggie to get new clothes and have a girls day."

"Cool. So how's work going?"

"Meh, I'm only 3 months in. Can't complain just yet." He had one eye trained on Alex as they talked.

"Patttttttttttt!" Both Ned and Mike looked down at Alex as he held up a toy.

"Wow Alex!" Mike took the toy from him and looked at it. "I mean it's not my dream job, but it more than covers the bills."

"Well that's the up side huh?" Ned took another pull and leaned back in the summer sun. "Man it's super nice to have a house. This backyard thing really has an upside."

"I'm defiantly not complaining about this part." Mike looked down and watched Alex in the sunshine. In the light, Alex's hair had a tint of red to it. While Scarlet had always maintained that she was blond, the red seemed to glow in the sunlight. His eyes shone bright blue when Alex fixed his stare on him. Unable to resist, Mike picked him up and sat him on his lap.

"So, what does he do?"

"Huh?" Mike looked away from Alex and looked over to Ned. He was sitting forward, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped in front of him. He was watching the two of them with interest. It was the same type of interest that he ways had when taking apart any thing electronic, like his NES. _'Which he still owes me!' _Ned had a habit of always trying to figure out how things worked. "Well he does baby things…" Mike trailed off.

"Like?"

"Well about three weeks ago, he started crawling. Trust me you don't think it's fast, but you turn around for one second and he's gone." Mike picked him up under his arms and let him stand on his legs. "Oh and he can pull himself to stand, he did that like two days ago. You want to hold him?" Mike held the baby out to him.

"Are you nuts?! Come' on dude, probably a bad idea." Ned sat back in the chair again. He kicked his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. Placing his hands behind his head, he looked up into the sky. Turning his eyes back towards Mike, he said "Trust me with your computer any day, your second born, maybe not so much…"

"I'll remember that!" Mike said laughing and placing the baby back on the blanket.

~ * ~

Scarlet walked in the front door and heard the sounds of a basketball game on TV. Smiling, she placed her purse down on the table and kicked her shoes off. Maggie was fast asleep in her arms, her chin resting on her shoulders and arms wrapped around her neck. Planning on putting Maggie down till dinner, she stopped and peered into the living room. Mike was fast asleep on the couch, Alex napping on his chest.

Smile on her face, Scarlet made her way into Maggie's room and placed the child down on her bed. Give her head a quick kiss, she made her way back into the living room and crouched beside Mike's head.

"Mike," She whispered and brushed his hair back, "time to get up." As she watched his eyes slowly opened.

"Hey, how was shopping?"

She stood and picked up Alex from his chest. Kissing the baby, she swayed with him in her arms. "Nice, it's was strange being out of the house." Alex's eyes opened and he gave her a big yawn. "How's Ned?"

"Good, he kept talking about this 'interweb' thing. And the fact that we _have_ to get a computer." Mike rolled his eyes and sat up. "I mean like we really one of those."

"Dinner in the oven?"

"Yup! About…" he checked his watch "forty minutes ago."

"Cool, I'll check on it in a sec." Sitting on the floor, she placed Alex on his feet and held his hands as he stood. "So your mom might just be insane." He was lifting his feet and Scarlet let him hold onto a finger in each of his tiny palms.

"How so?" Mike was watching the game on TV as another basket was scored.

"She keeps hinting about having another kid. I mean maybe one day, but I'd like to not be pregnant for just a little bit longer!" She blew a piece of hair from her eyes and Alex let go of one of her fingers. He took a wobbly step towards Mike.

"Yeah, really. She keeps hinting at me since I'm the only child and blah, blah; I've started to tune her out at this point. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" He jumped off the couch and started to yell at the TV.

Alex dropped Scarlet's other hand and took a second step towards Mike. "Um Mike?"

"Did you see that call? That was terrible! I think the ref is blind!"

"MIKE" She turned to look at her. She pointed down and his eyes fell on Alex as he took wobbly steps towards him. He dropped to his knees and held his arms out to the boy.

"Come to Daddy, Alex!" He took the last couple of steps and Mike caught him. Standing, he lifted the boy above his head and twirled him around. "Good job buddy!" Alex laughed and snuggled into Mike's arms afterwards. Scarlet watched them and wondered how anything could be more perfect.


	7. The First Failure

_Wholly crap! I can't believe how fast this wrote it's self! I've had the worst block when it came to this chapter. Then, BAM, it just came out! So here it is. This is the second last chapter. Trust me, this one is a tad painful, but stick with it! Your reward will be the last chapter (which is basically done) and the hotness of Zac!_

_I don't own anything!!_

Firsts

The First Failure

Pulling into the driveway, he shut the car off and rested his head between his fists on the steering wheel. For a day that he had such high hopes for, it had gone really wrong. He lifted his head and took a deep breath trying to gain the will to get out of the car and face his family. In one swift motion, he grabbed his jacket and briefcase from the seat, and opened the door before he could change his mind. His eyes caught the sight of toys piled in the back seat and he heaved a sigh before getting out of the car and slamming the door. He made his way to the house, stepping over a bike and stuff animals. Placing one hand on the door, he took a deep breath and turned the knob.

"DADDY!" He was barley inside the door when he was attacked by a brown and pink blur. Maggie latched to his leg and sat on his foot. She buried her head in his leg and from the sobbing, he guessed she was crying. "I HATE IT!"

He took a step forward with the little girl on his foot, and put his briefcase and jacket down. "Maggie, I have to take off my shoes. Can you let go please?" He bent down and tried to pry her hands off. For a four-year-old, she had quite a grip. Her hands gripped his pants and she refused to let go. Trying to reason with the child, he placed a hand on her head causing her to look up at him. Her wide eyes stared up at him, cheeks bright red, and face wet from her tears. "Sweetie, what do you hate?"

"BROCCOLI! And Mommy said that I _have_ to eat it!" She pounded her fist into his leg, and he winced in pain. She had a mean right hook. As she paused to take a breath, he caught her by surprise and lifted her up.

"Maggie! Is this the way that a four-year-old acts?" Holding her with one arm, he carried her into the kitchen and gave a small smile to Scarlet. She was sitting across from Alex in his high chair, trying to feed him dinner. He put Maggie back into her booster seat and she crossed her arms in a pout. On his way fridge, he gave Scarlet kiss and grabbed a beer. Taking a pull, his eyes swept the room.

It was obvious that Scarlet's day had been just as bad as his. Dishes were pilled in the sink waiting to be done. He could hear the washer running in the back round, and Maggie had started to cry again. His eyes swept over Scarlet, taking in the fact she was still wearing her PJ's and her hair was swept in a messy bun. He could see the rings around her eyes as she tried to feed Alex. He had been sick the last couple of days, keeping them up at night. The extra attention that he had been getting was causing Maggie to act up and out.

He ran his hand along his forehead and tried to will away his headache. He grabbed a clean plate from the rack and sat next to his daughter. Fat tears rolled over her cheeks and she refused to look at him. Picking up the bowl of broccoli, he piled it high on his plate and dug in. He could see her watching him out the corner of her eye, and he speared another piece and popped it in his mouth. He pulled the paper from the morning closer and started to read.

She watched as he steadily made the vegetables disappear. Picking up her fork, she pushed the couple pieces around her plate. She watched as he ate another large piece and she tried one herself. Scarlet had stopped trying to feed the crying Alex and watched in amazement as Maggie cleared the rest of her plate. Mike locked eyes with Scarlet and the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

~ * ~

The rest of night flew by and was a whirl of bath times, pajama's, and bedtime stories. Mike creped from Maggie's room and soundlessly shut the door. He made his way into the kitchen and sat heavily down at the table. While he had been busy with Maggie, Scarlet was cleaning the kitchen and had Alex strapped to her chest.

"So there's something wrong with the dryer…" He could almost hear how tired she was. It was the first thing that they had said to each other since he walked in the door. "I mean it works, but you have to put each load through twice. I think we need a new one." She turned to face him as she dried the last dish. He reached out to take the baby from her and she walked over to him and let Mike take him. "You still hungry?"

He rocked the baby in his arms as he nodded. She started a plate for him and popped it in the microwave. "So when that new bonus comes in, I think the first thing we _have_ to get is a new dryer."

"I didn't get it." He said it quietly, partly because he was embarrassed and partly because Alex was sleeping and he didn't want to wake him.

"What?"

"They decided to give it to this other guy…" Mike trailed off, anger from earlier coming back to him. He could see the Jim's face in his mind, the smug look and gloating. Standing, he said "I'm just going to put him to bed and I'll be back." He made his away to Alex's room and place him in the crib. Alex fitfully tossed and Mike thought for a moment that he had woken up. He breathed a sigh of relief when Alex settled back down. Grabbing the baby monitor, he made his way back the kitchen.

Sitting down at the table again, he dug into the dinner that Scarlet had placed in front of him. He could feel her stare as he ate and tried to ignore it. He ate in silence and was grateful for it. It the first chance of peace and quiet he had all day. Soon though, he finished the plate and looked into Scarlet's eyes.

She sat across from, just watching. Her stare burned through him and he flushed under her gaze.

"That was good. Thanks for dinner." He stood, picking up his plate.

"Sit." She crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to comply. He dropped back into the chair, and waited for her to start. "Start from the beginning."

"What are you talking about?"

"You said you didn't get the promotion. You were so sure this morning, what happened?"

"Look Scar, I don't want to talk about this." He stood again and took his plate to the sink. He leaned on the counter away from her and dropped his head. "They gave it to Jim."

"Why? Hasn't he only been there like a year?" Mike's hands dropped to his sides and balled into fists.

"I don't know why."

"But,"

"But nothing Scarlet!" He turned and stared at her, his hands running though his hair. "They gave it to that dumass!" The anger from earlier came out and he started to pace. "I get that he's this new hot shot and he's older than me, but my numbers are so much better! I have to get away from the desk and that dam cubicle. I can't stand to be there! I want to get out and sell."

"Well what did they say? Did they even talk to you?"

"Oh yea, that was the best part! 'Well Mike, you're just a bit too young to send you out. _Give it some time._' Such BULL!" he dropped his hands and took a breath.

"Oh, Mike…" She moved towards him and placed her hand on his arm. He flinched at her touch and moved to the other side of the room.

"Look, I know you want to help, but I just need some time to myself. I mean, I have this terrible day, and then Maggs is all over me the minute I walk in the door, the place is a mess, Alex is still sick and you need a new dryer. I just need some me time." He walked into the living room and fell to couch. Putting his feet up, he turned the TV on and started to flick through the channels.

"So," Scarlet was suddenly behind him, "you had a crappy day. I get it, I really do." She moved to stand in front of the TV, and he was forced to look at her. "But I'd like a break too, Mike! This week has royally SUCKED. Between Alex's cold, and Maggie's tantrums, they are driving me nuts! You have no idea how glad I was when you walked in the door and was able to take care of Maggie."

"Well sometimes I wish I didn't have to." Mike wished he could take it back the minute it left his mouth. Mike watched as Scarlet's mouth dropped open at his words.

"Excuse me?"

"Ok that sounded way worse out loud than in my head." He stood and paced around. "Sometimes I wish I could just, come home and not deal with all this stuff."

"Um Mike, I deal with _this stuff_ all day, everyday." Placing the monitor on the coffee table, she folded her arms in front of her and he could see the hurt in her eyes.

"Scarlet you don't get it! The whole reason I didn't get the promotion is because, quote," he motioned air quotes, "'I'm too young', then I come home, and I'm this father and husband, and there's this part of my brain that just screaming, _'your only 22'_." He met her eyes and could see the tears pooled there.

She opened her mouth, and cry was heard from the monitor. Scarlet's hand flew to her throat and she swallowed thickly. With a turn on her heal; she started out of the room.

"I'll get him."

Mike sank into the cushions of the couch. Sounds of the TV were like white noise in the back of his mind, and all he could hear was the sound of Scarlet opening the door to Alex's room. He stared at the monitor and he could hear her voice as she soothed the crying child and rustle of blankets.

"Shhh, Alex, it's ok baby." Her voice sounded sweet as she talked to the baby, but he could hear the hurt in it and his heart broke.


End file.
